Fuel oil heater



Feb. l2, 1945. A. F. MORGENIEYR FUEL OIL HEATER Filed NOV. 1 9, 1945 WITNESS f Patented Feb. 12, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FUEL OIL HEATER August F. Morgenier, Hollis, N. Y.

Application November 19, 1943, Serial No. 510,944

(Cl. 21S-39) Claims.

This invention relates to oil pre-heaters, which devices are used in heavy fuel oil burning systems for the purpose of decreasing the viscosity of the oil, The general practice in such systems is to install two types of heaters, consisting of, an electric starting heater, and a main operating heater. These separate heaters normally located apart from each other and interconnected by piping, tend to complicate the system and add to installation time and cost. In addition, the electric starting heater, because of its customary location in the confined space near the oil burner unit, often presents servicing and installation problems.

The objects of this invention are, first, to provide a combination unit which will function as both a starting and main operating fuel oil heater; second, to provide such a dual purpose heater whereby the fuel oil may be pre-heated by means of electricity and boiler water, or by means of electricity and steam; and third, to alleviate the installation and servicing of preheating equipment.

I attain these objects by the heater illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a section of the entire heater arranged to show construction; Fig. 2, a front elevation of the head end of the heater; Fig. 3, a vertical section through the heater head on the line 3 3, of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4, a vertical section through the shell of the heater on the line 4-4, Fig. 1.

Similar numerals refer to throughout the several views.

The head I, tube sheet 2, and shell 3, constitute the framework of the heater. Tube sheet 2, is secured between the flanges of head I, and shell 3, by means of bolts 4, and consists of a thick lmetal plate, drilled to receive well 5, tubes 6, and bolts 4.

The seamless metal tubes 6, are bent U-shape to various radii, and provided in assorted lengths to permit arrangement in a staggered pattern as shown by tube groups l, 8, 9, Fig, 4, The open ends of U-shaped tubes 6, are secured in the small drilled holes in tube sheet 2.

Well 5, consists of metal pipe or tubing, with one end sealed and the other end secured in the large drilled hole provided in tube sheet 2,

Shell 3 forms the metal housing around tube groups l, 8, E, and Well 5. One end of shell 3 is open and flanged, while the opposite end is closed and provided with two pipe thread openings IO, and I2. A pipe thread opening II, is also provided on the bottom of shell 3, near the similar parts flanged end. The flange is drilled for bolts 4, and provided with a raised machined surface for use with shell gasket I3. Opening I0, in shell 3, is for boiler water or steam inlet; opening Il, for boiler Water or condensate outlet; and opening I2, for internal inspection and for flushing-out or otherwise cleaning the surfaces within shell 3.

The head I, is a metal casting with a flange on n one end coinciding with the flange previously mentioned on shell 3. This head flange is likewise drilled for bolts 4, and provided with a raised machined surface for use with head gasket I4. Pipe thread connections are arranged in the casting for oil inlet I5, oil outlet I6, electric imlmersion element I'I, sleeve I8, oil pressure relief I9, oil return or bleeder 20, and oil drain 2l, At the flanged end of head I, separate chambers 22, 23, 24, and 25, Fig. 3, are provided in the casting to guide the passage of fuel oil through the heater,

Sleeve I8, consists of metal pipe or tubing threaded at one end for connection to head I.

The electric immersion element I1, is of standard manufacture, with outlet box 26 furnished on the terminal end for electric wiring connections.

The installation of the oil heater of the present invention in a heavy fuel oil burning system, conforms with the general practice of locating oil heaters in the discharge oil piping between the oil pump and the oil burner, so that the fuel oil to be heated is forced through the heater, under pressure from the oil pump.

The oil flow, in the oil heater illustrated, is from oil inlet I5; into chamber 22; through U-shaped oil tubes 6, in tube group l; into chamber 23; through U-shaped oil tubes 6, in tube group 8 into chamber 24; through U-shaped oil tubes 6, in tube group 9; into chamber 25; then between the Walls of well 5 and sleeve I 8, towards the closed end of well 5 at this point the oil flow is reversed, passing between sleeve I8 and electric immersion element I'I, towards head I, where the pre-heated oil leaves the heater at oil outlet I6.

The boiler water inlet, or steam connection is made to shell 3, at opening I0; and boiler water outlet, or condensate connection to opening II.

Terminals of electric immersion element I'I, are connected to standard electric current service, with a manual or automatic oil-temperature control switch wired in the circuit.

When boiler water, or steam, as the oil heating agent, is piped to shell 3, the heat in the boiler water, or steam, filling shell 3, is transferred to the fuel oil through contact with the surfaces of tubes 6, and well 5. Also, when electric current is applied to electric immersion element Il, heat is transferred to the fuel oil as the oil comes in contact with the heating surfaces of the element.

While the invention described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, has definite dimensions and proportion o1"- parts, and a fined number and arrangement of oil passes, tubes, and tube groups, it is not intended to so limit this device. It will be evident that such factors as gravity of oil, quantity ci oil to be heated per hour, allowable oil pressure drop through the heater, inlet and outlet oil temperatures, Iworking pressures, and temperature of steam, all have a definite bearing on the size, number, and an rangement of parts. In view thereof, it should be understood that the particular design of the invention herein shown and described, is illustrative of the invention, and is not intended to limit its dimensional proportions or the number, size and arrangement of oil passes, tubes, tube groups, and etc.

I claim:

1. A fuel oil heater comprising in combination a housing, a multiple-pass U-shape oil tube unit in said housing adapted to be heated by a heating medium in said housing, an oil well unit comprising a hollow cylindrical member closed at one end and mounted Within said oil tube unit, and an electric immersion element in said cil well unit adapted to heat oil in said well.

2. A fuel oil heater comprising in combination a housing, a multiple-pass U-shape oil tube unit in said housing adapted to be heated by a heating medium in said housing, an oil well unit within said oil tube unit, an electric immersion element in said oil well unit adapted to heat oil in said well, and compartments at one end or" said hou-sing, said oil tube unit comprising a plurality of U-shape tubes extending longitudinally of the housing and communicating with said compartments.

3. A fuel oil heater` comprising a shell; tube sheet at the open end of the shell; groups of U-shaped oil tubes and an oil-well secured in the tube sheet, said oil tubes and oil-well being encased by the shell; a head over the tube sheet: identical faced and drilled flanges provided one on the head and the other on the open of the shell with the tube sheet secured between said flanges by means of bolts and gasket joints: a sleeve secured at one end to the head and extending horizontally within the oil well; ctrie immersion element also secured to the head and extending horizontally within the sleeve; a series of bafiled chambers within the head to guide the passage of oil through the heater; and openings in the shell and head for piping connections, all substantially as described.

4. A fuel oil heater comprising a shell having one open end. said end being provided with a faced and drilled flange. an inlet and outlet opening in the body of the shell for boiler water or steam connections, and an opening also in the body of the shell for internal inspection and olea-nine: groups of U-shaped ou tubes, with each group consisting of a plurality of tubes bent to various radii, and cut to different lengths to permit arrangement in a staggered pattern: an oil well sealed at one end and loca-ted parallel to and enclosed by the aforementioned groups of U- shaped oil tubes, said groups of oil tubes and the oil well being encased by the heater shell; a tube sheet with its outer periphery and bolt holes conforming with the flange on the heater shell, said tube sheet having groups of small drilled holes arranged around a large drilled opening, with the open ends of the aforementioned U-shaped oil tubes secured in said small drilled holes. and the open end of the oil well secured in the large drilled opening; a head over the tube sheet, said head being provided with a flange identical to the flange on the heater shell; bolts and gaskets for securing the tube sheet between the head flange and the shell flange; a series ol bailled chambers in the head to guide the passage of oil through the groups of oil tubes and the oil well, a central chamber in the head with an opening at the outer end of said chamber into which an electric immersion element is secured, and an opening at the inner end of the chamber into which a sleeve is secured, said sleeve being open at both ends and extendingr horizontally within the aforementioned oil welly and the electric immersion element extending horizontally within.

the sleeve, and said head being provided 'with openings for oil inlet, outlet, pressure relief. bleeder, and drain connections, all substantially as described.

5. An oil heating unit comprising means forming a chamber having an inlet and an outlet for a heating medium, a second chamber within and sealed against communication with said first chamber, said chambers having a common hollow head divided into compartments, an electric heater in said second chamber, and a plurality of conduits in said first chamber connected to each other through said compartments and communieating with said second chamber.

6. An oil heating unit comprising means forming a chamber having an inlet and an outlet for a heating medium, a second chamber in said first chamber, said chambers having a common hollow head divided into compartments, an electric heater in said second chamber, and a plurality of groups of parallel related conduits in said first chamber the groups of which are connected in series relation to each other through said compartments and communicating with said second chamber.

7. An oil heating unit comprising means forming a chamber having an inlet and an outlet for a heating medium, a second chamber in said first chamber having an opening to the exterior of the unit, said chambers having a common hollow head divided into compartments one of which has an inlet for oil to be heated and another of which communicates with said second chamber, an outlet for heated oil in communication with said second chamber, an electric heater in said second chamber, and a plurality of conduits in said first chamber connected to each other through said compartments to form an cil circuit intermediate the oil inlet and oil outlet.

8. An oil heating device comprising means forming a chamber having an inlet and an outletJ for a fluid heating medium, means including a hollow cylindrical shell closed at one end forming a second chamber in said first chamber and sealed thereto, an electric heater in said second chamber, oil circuit forming means in said second chamber about said heater having one end opening to the exterior of the device, and second oil circuit forming means in said first chamber outside said second chamber having one end opening to the exterior of the device and its other end communicating with the other end said first circuit forming means.

9. An oil heating unit comprising an elongated substantially cup-shape shell having an inlet and an outlet for a fluid heating medium, a tube support over the open end of said shell, a well of substantially cup-shape in said shell having its open end sealed to said support, an oil circuit sleeve in said well, a hollow head for said shell over said support and divided into compartments about said sleeve one of which compartments communicates with said well, said head including an oil inlet to one of said compartments and having a center chamber sealed to said sleeve and having an oil outlet, an electric heater supported by said head extending through said center chamber into said sleeve, and a plurality of groups of parallel related oil circuits forming conduits of substantially U-shape in said shell connected at their free ends to said support about said well, the groups of which are connected in series relation to each other through said support and said compartments and to said well between said inlet and said outlet.

10. A fuel oil heater comprising in combination a housing, a multiple-pass U-shaped oil tube unit in said housing adapted to be heated by a heating medium in said housing, an oil Well Within ysaid oil tube unit comprising a hollow cylindrica1 member closed at one end and a sleeve within said member and spaced from the walls thereof, and an electric immersion element in said sleeve and spaced from the Walls thereof, the spaces between the sleeve and the member and the member and the element providing an oil passageway.

AUGUST F. MORGENIER. 

